Along with Smetana, Antonin Dvorak is the outstanding example of Czech nationalism in nineteenth-century music, albeit allied to Germanic compositional techniques. In 1988, five young Viennese artists founded the Arcus Ensemble, a group comprised of a piano and string quartet. Their common interest, besides the standard repertoire, lies in the investigation of seldom-played compositions and unusual configurations. The ensemble frequently requires the participation of other instrumentalists such as wind players, percussionists, or singers, thus forming many different chamber music groups able to perform an almost unlimited number of works of all styles. Their main focus is on repertoire of the twentieth century, as well as works by contemporary composers that have been written for the ensemble.